Making his debut in 1966 at the tender age of 16, Joe Royle was Everton's youngest-ever player and became a legend in the blue half of Liverpool. By 1974, when he joined Manchester City, his 102 goals had helped the Toffees to a league title and an FA Cup Final.
Capped by England six times, Joe won the 1976 League Cup with Manchester City before playing for Bristol City and Norwich City. However, in 1982 his playing career came to a premature end because of a knee injury. Still passionate about the game, Joe threw himself into football management and in his first job he took Oldham Athletic into the old First Division, a League Cup Final and two FA Cup Semi-Finals.
After success at Oldham, Joe attracted the attention of other clubs and in 1994 his lifelong dream came true when he became manager of Everton. During his first season Everton beat Manchester United to lift the FA CUP and by 1996 they were sixth in the League, but Joe couldn't further strengthen the squad, so they parted company in 1997. A year later he was a manager for another of his former clubs, Manchester City.
For the first time in the club's history, City suffered relegation out of the top two divisions, but Joe returned them to the top flight with back-to-back promotions. Sacked from Maine Road following relegation in 2001, Joe's enthusiasm for management never waned and he was back in the hotseat in 2002 with Ipswich Town. He had one aim - one he has relentlessly pursued - to take them into the Premiership.
Always a straight-talker, here Joe Royle gives an honest account of his life; from his young days as a player to his current role as a manager of Ipswich, this book captures the spirit of the man and his incredible career.
Joe Royle was born in 1949 in Norris Green, Merseyside. He made his professional debut at 16 years old in 1966 for Everton, before going on to play for Manchester City, Bristol City and Norwich City. He won six England caps before a knee injury brought an early end to his playing career in 1982.
After he hung up his boots, Royle continued to work within the world of football as a manager, starting his new career at Oldham Athletic before moving to his old team, Everton, in 1994. He then joined Manchester City in 1998 until he was dismissed by them in 2001. After working as a media analyst he returned to management in 2002 at the helm of Ipswich Town.
Bill Thornton, who collaborated with Joe Royle on his autobiography, has been a national newspaper sports journalist for 33 years, on the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Daily Star. Most recently, he worked with David Batty, the former Leeds and England midfielder, on his autobiography.
